00|Prologue

"𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑤𝑖𝑚 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠"

~Bridgett Devoue~

•••••••

1 year ago

Tegan took the cold bowl of the famous 'Ice Jerry' cream from her kitchen counter top and made her way to the living room. A devastated looking Cassandra sat cuddled in a ball on the couch, her nose red as a result of her incessant sneezing into already used tissue papers and her eyes blood shot - well that was nothing new and neither was the empty bottles of years old, artifact-worthy, whiskies lying beside her. Cassandra's body was engulfed in her own benumbed state of atrabiliary which momentarily caused her small frame to visibly shudder for a split second.

Even a little oversight from Tegan in regard to Cassandra's shudder wasn't given.

Tegan payed no attention to the invisible melancholy that blanketed her friend. She was more irritated than worried or concerned as she watched her friend, Cassandra take another sheet of tissue from the pile beside her and blow her red nose into it.

Despite the situation- which was still yet unknown to Tegan-, she couldn't help but find Cassandra's crying mess thoroughly disgusting to bear and if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't just shoo her best friend out of her house, Cassandra should have been out through the door, long ago.

Tegan proceeded to sit on the lip shaped couch Cassandra was curled up in but made sure to keep a reasonable amount of distance before she opened her mouth to speak, forced nonchalance dripping all over her words. "You know, these days, I sincerely think you derive pleasure in daring my benevolence."

Cassandra heaved a sigh and pretended to not understand what her friend was referring to whilst she played absent mindedly with the edges of the blanket drooped across her shoulders. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Oh cut the bullshit Sandra." Tegan made a whole 180 on the couch and revealed her face to Cassandra. She didn't have the strength to hide the ire in her eyes and sincerely speaking, she didn't really want to. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's like every time you want to test me and see how far my patience will run. I thole all of your inept antics and choke them down, all the time. "

"Tegg, that's not true. All this isn't my fault and you know very well that it isn't. Why the hell will I want to do that to you?" Cassandra feigned ignorance again and tried to lay out her pity cards, just like she always did.

Tegan closed her eyes in exasperation and made an effort to weigh how much blood she'd have to clean up if she was to bash Cassandra's head against the glass table she could sight just two inches away from them.

It was no news how manipulative Cassandra could be with her words and though Tegan could always see right through her, she always just decided to play dumb and keep shut.

Everyone, and no hyperbole intended, even wondered how the two very different personalities have survived as best friends for the past 20 years.

Well, most people guess it's Tegan's natural tolerance level while some just assume that Cassandra isn't that bad and news carriers were merely exaggerating.

But little did they know.

Tegan opened her eyes and zoned imaginary missiles on Cassandra. "I don't know Cassandra -I should be asking that question. Seeing that you're the one causing me problems and playing this sick game of yours, I think you should be in a better position to answer that question. No?" Tegan seethed.

She wanted Cassandra to know that she wasn't oblivious to the mind tricks but just had just chosen not to pursue at it.

She was so close to taking her confrontation further but she decided against it.

With a huff, Tegan threw one last dagger with her eyes, handed the now melting chocolate mint ice cream to Cassandra before she crossed her hands beneath her breasts in anticipation for Cassandra's cold stare to break.

"It's all good though-" Tegan blew breadth on her bangs that were hooding her forehead and falling against her eyes. She gave a strained smile to Cassandra. "-anything for Cass right?"

"Right." Cassandra affirmed with a subtle smirk.

Untangling her hands that were crossed beneath her breasts, Tegan turned her focus away from Cassandra and grabbed her own bowl of ice cream. "So what's the trouble this time?"

"Trouble?" Cassandra scrunched her nose, her brain cells trying to gain hold of her perplexity. "I don't grok what you're driving at."

Here we go again. Tegan thought.

"Well, dear Cassandra, my destination for this haughty ride is for you to tell me the nature of the crime you've committed this time so I'll know which lawyer to call and clean up your dog's dinner." Tegan reached for her phone. "So which one is it gonna be? The one for destroyed properties or the one for hidden dead bodies?"

"What the fuck? Why would you even talk about dead bodies now?" Cassandra exclaimed in sheer shock and what was that again? Fear?

Tegan averted her eyes sideways and met with Cassandra's wide ones. "It'll be nothing new on your plate though so why so surprised?"

"Don't you dare talk about shit like that again." Cassandra warned with anger brewing in her tone, her eyes narrowed in slits. "I don't have any dead bodies to hide. I never did and I never will."

"Sure, sure, calm your tits young one." Tegan rolled her eyes to show her indifference which caused Cassandra to visibly loose some of the tension gathered in her shoulders. "With the way you're fretting about it, someone might actually think you've dumped a couple of bodies in a river before."

Cassandra said nothing and focused her energy on regaining her bearing.

"But on a more serious note, do you need lawyers?" Tegan asked. "I could contact Kim to get you the last one from last time. His confidentiality level is top notch 'cause this one seems to be putting you off a whole lot."

"I promised you that that would be the last time and I was dead serious so please can you just drop it?"

Tegan peered at her friend with hidden curiosity, her perfectly threaded brow raised in mock bewilderment. "Oh really? I'm trying to help you here and last I remember, you've done way more than promise and you've made me mop way more fluids each time." She mused, shocking even herself that she found all this amusing.

"Tegan, I said chill." Cassandra gritted her teeth to stop herself from lashing out on Tegan. She needed Tegan's assistance and having a meaningless banter with her right now wouldn't really get her that assistance so she decided to keep her words to herself.

"Girl, don't you dare tell me what to do in my house. You have no fucking right so it's either you spill the details about the trouble you caused this time or get the fuck out because I'm tired- I'm tired of you and your shit."

"You're being harsh Tegan." Cassandra said, way calmer this time.

"And that has ever been a problem? When?" Tegan taunted, finding Cassandra's effort to keep her anger at bay rather rib tickling. She was so close to laughing in Cassandra's face. "Besides I never knew you to be a disgusting drunk. You could just take a new sheet and forget about the dumped ones in the pile that's right beside you. It's gross and unbearable to watch."

Cassandra let her friend's words slice through air. She turned a deaf ear to the words and payed no mind to the tone in which they were uttered too.

She had already taken care of her former anger; an aspect she was very skilled in, and moreover, she had experienced Tegan's rotten attitude countless of times and it didn't really have that much effect on her anymore.

She was also too caught up in her grief to worry about Tegan's over sensitivity to literally everything.

Cassandra never really did like how Tegan was the only one she had to run to whenever she was in need of something. It wasn't only utterly ego brusing, it was also infuriating. The attitude her supposed best friend usually gave her during these times and situations made it even worse.

Although, there was nothing she could do; She was already used to it by now and there was no one else she could run to nor was she ready to stop her obliterating habits anytime soon.

Everytime something happened, she found the need to talk to Tegan, to run to Tegan, possibly for what she mistook to be safety.

Reason being why she had shown up at Tegan's doorstep yesterday with a swollen face and a bursted lip. It wasn't anything new but the reason behind her wrecked state was the point of concern. She knew Tegan was already used to thinking the worst of her by now, but she kind of hoped this time would be different.

By now, Tegan had come to the conclusion that Cassandra wasn't going to reply to her remarks and her taunts weren't sipping through the cracks anymore so she turned away from Cassandra and started to dig into her ice cream.

She knew she needed to do something, maybe help her friend and try to pry the reason why she was crying out of her but, she didn't have the strength to baby sit Cassandra. Not again.

Not too long ago, Tegan had decided that she had had enough. She was done and fed up with Cassandra always being the typical Cassandra and trying to make her clean up after her.

Cassandra had been involved in countless and meaningless fights over the years, always resulting in showing up at Tegan's doorstep with a sardonic smile plastered on her face - not bothered by the pain she was feeling from the evident cuts and bruises adorning her skin.

She always made Tegan hid her, most times from the owners of the properties she had destroyed while she was out being the troublesome and ambition-less person Tegan had come to hate.

The most annoying part was that Cassandra could just easily use her money to shut them down, or better still get her parents to do it for her cause money shuts people up, and money was what they all had. But no. It had to be Tegan, always Tegan. Cassandra had chosen Tegan as her mop and Tegan couldn't really back out now. It was already too late.

The first time, it was okay and truthfully, Tegan felt sorry for her friend. The second time, it was fine too. Same with the third, the fourth and the fifth. But then, gradually and almost unnoticeably, the numbers increased and so did Tegan's irritation. In contrast, her patience did the exact opposite; decrease, and the only thing she could do was give an attitude, hoping her friend would get the message.

It never worked.

This time, when Cassandra showed up, Tegan was ready to blow out and send her friend away but the single tear drop that ran down her swollen cheeks made her stop in her tracks. Cassandra was crying and that was one thing she never did. Or at least, almost never did.

That was the irking part and what caused Tegan to soften a little.

The fact that Cassandra also decided to not speak about it ever since she landed foot in the house was more disturbing. Normally, by now, she'll be rambling on about the 'mesmerising amount of euphoria' she felt as her and her rascals of friends drank tons of alcohol and did car races on residential streets but instead, she was sat curled into a ball and crying her eyes out.

Tegan pushed her suspicions away and reached for the Tv remote control that layed on the table.

She would be so grateful to anything that could distract her from asking Cassandra what was wrong for the millionth time in less than 48 hours.

After two boring channels with Philippine lovers smooching on the office table and one bowl of ice Jerry chocolate mint cream half eaten, Cassandra decided to stop her pity play and get on with why she had been crying.

She tapped Tegan gently on the shoulder in an attempt to gain her attention while Tegan looked over at Cassandra on receiving the tap. Tegan wordlessly questioned the credibility of attention seek and asked if she was willing to say something reasonable.

When Tegan got the message, she picked up the remote and turned the TV off, facing Cassandra with her own bowl of ice cream balanced on her lap.

"I see you're ready to talk now and from the amount of snort and tears you've spilled on my Italian carpet, I can bet my liver this has nothing to do with your daily troubles." Tegan said and waited for Cassandra to give her any sign that she was threading in the right part. Tegan could be daring but she wasn't stupid enough to piss off Cassandra more than she had already done.

"As much I'd love to beat around the bush and try the comforting, overated best friend magic shit on you, I am not because you know me-I hate cringe and I'm already exhausted by you, so go straight to the point and answer me. Is it Kevin?" Tegan asked straight out, a firm glint in her eyes.

Tegan didn't want to believe that Kevin was responsible for this but his long list of cruel activities and his oversized ego made it hard to think otherwise. The fact that he's also one of the few who could have that much effect on Cassandra wasn't helping or giving him the benefit of doubt either.

Beit as it may, that was one of the multiple reasons why Tegan was thoroughly attracted to him.

The nodding from Cassandra confirmed the little tinny doubt Tegan had left. She let out an unsurprised scoff. Of course!

"What happened?" Tegan asked blatantly.

She waited as Cassandra took another spoon of the frozen cream and winced when it came in contact with her teeth.

"He's cheating." Cassandra answered with practically no emotion left on her face which caused Tegan to fail in controlling the gasp that escaped her lips.

"Cheating?!" She was so surprised and livid would be a mere understament.

As selfish as it sounded, she wasn't surprised or angry for her friend but for herself.

On normal circumstances, she would be patently angry if Cassandra's boyfriend was to ever cheat on her, despite the fact that Cassandra could be very annoying and edge-putting sometimes, but, this situation was different.

If Kevin was cheating on Cassandra, that also meant he was cheating on her too.

"You mean that self conceited idiot is cheating?!" She noticed that she asked louder than she had initially intended so she quickly added, "On you?"

Cassandra's confusion couldn't be missed as it was palpably painted on her face;

Tegan's reaction to the news was quite baffling to her.

On seeing the baffled expression, Tegan instantly knew she needed to calm down in order not to raise suspicions. Cassandra was the type who always had her gaurds high up; any little slip from Tegan would get her figuring something was off.

And once that happens, it'd be a cake-walk; there'd be no more 'Kevan' and their cover would be blown.

Tegan hissed internally when she realized how stupid she just sounded.

What was she even saying?! There'd be no more 'under-the-cover ' Kevan again! Ever!

It was bad enough that she was betraying her friend by sleeping with her boyfriend for the past three years and he on the other hand was cheating on her best friend with her.

She also knew she was being selfish by feeling infuriated with Kevin cheating with another girl when she herself was being a betrayer but, she couldn't help it.

"Why's your face turning red? It hardly turns red." Cassandra pointed out as she started to become a little uncomfortable.

Tegan was beginning to look more angry than she was even when she found out about the whole cheating thing.

Tegan is her friend, yes, but still, she seemed to be taking it on too much which was definitely unlike Tegan.

When Tegan noticed the uneasiness of her friend, she quickly tried to contain herself and stood up, gently placing her ice cream bowl on the table behind her.

"I'm so sorry. I mean, I'm so angry he could do something like this to you. You guys have been together for five years..." Tegan paused to emphasize and make her speech more believable by raising her five right fingers and enlarging her eye balls, "Five!"

Cassandra slowly stood up, rubbing her red eyes. She had enough of the talk.

She was well aware that her and Kevin had been dating for five years and she wasn't truthfully eager to hear any more of it. The more she heard, the more painful it was. She had already felt too much pain that could last her for a good one year.

From how long she had stayed under the same roof with Kevin, never had he done something like this. She wasn't even sure this was the first time for she was in terms with the saying about Men not being worthy to be trusted.

She retreated into the kitchen with Tegan following closely behind her.

Obviously, Tegan hadn't had enough, yet.

"How'd you find out? Did you catch him red handed?" Tegan blabbed on, trying to keep a steady pace. She was genuinely curious and ready to rip the hair of whoever the bitch was.

"Nope." Cassandra popped the 'p' and kept a monotone. " Saw a thong in his suit jacket."

Suddenly, something perked up and Cassandra had this weird feeling that she had seen that thong some place before. It looked oddly familiar.

Looking at her friend, she decided to share the piece of information with Tegan who was visibly hungry for more.

"You know..." She started and turned to face the sink, "I'm pretty sure I've seen that thong before."

"Really?" Tegan peaked up in even more interest. If she could get any useful information, her hunt would be made twice easier.

Cassandra nodded, having no strength to glance at the face of Tegan who now had a sour expression on her face.

In a flash, Tegan remembered how she had left her thong accidentally the last time we went to see Kevin.

It was supposed to be a simple, romantic dinner in a secluded old crappy restaurant out in England. They always went to secluded places in order to keep their identities hidden owing to the fact that any sensible person in New York would easily identify the owner of Tee-burn beauty and the Major shareholder of Alakim tech company.

Questions and suspicions would surfice, not only from random people but also from her best friend, Cassandra.

Unfortunately, during the dinner, things elevated quickly; eye gazing progressed into hand caressing, light feather kisses and then a rather hot make out session in the ladies restroom.

She was so close to having her burning heat put out by the simple penetration of Kevin but, that day, unlike the others, her guilt was stronger. She couldn't bring herself to go farther than that or push it away and she wasn't sure if it was because her and Kevin were earlier having a conversation on how they were going to stop their sick play game or the remembrance of the little confession Cassandra made to her about not being able to live without Kevin. But, whatever it was, it was conscience pricking.

So, she ran out of the rest room with her purse, just when he had successfully managed to maneuver her panties off her thin slender legs.

She was so much in a hurry that she forgot her red thong lying on the floor.

She had no idea he'd keep it with him!

He could've as well just disposed of it. Now he's stupidity made Cassandra find it, not only that, she'll probably figure out it was her's.

"Do you maybe remember were you saw it? We could start from there" Tegan shrugged trying to sound less uninterested.

"Yeahhh..." Cassandra slurred, "It actually looks a lot like one of the red thongs Harry got you last Val." Cassandra answered, turning on the tap and placing her hands underneath it.

Tegan grew tense by the second as she waited for Cassandra to say something else. Anything at all.

Cassandra's silence was biting her and the sudden scoff Cassandra released sent her into full panic mode. She could actually feel her heart resting just above her naval.

Cassandra locked the running tap and grabbed the kitchen napkin to wipe her hands. "But of course I know it's not yours. There's no way your thong would be in my boyfriend's jacket, it has no business there and besides, you already threw that shit away, right?"

Cassandra turned to Tegan expecting an immediate answer.

Relief washed over Tegan and she quickly answered, scoffing also with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Of course! I threw that out like ages ago. You know how I hate clingy guys and their perverted gifts."

Of a truth, Tegan did always throw out such gifts- she got so many - but something about that one didn't let her throw it out. Maybe it was God trying to get her into her shit hole.

"Right." Cassandra sighed and walked past Tegan who again followed closely behind her.

She could sense another question about to be shot from Tegan so she sighed audibly and said, " You know what, let's just forget about the whole thing. I'm not even angry anymore because there is no need to be. He could sleep out all he wants while he still has the chance to." She stated before dipping her hands into her coat jacket.

She brought her hand forth revealing a red velvet box with a pink ribbon on the top. Opening the box slowly, she revealed an engagement ring with a grin dancing on her lips.

"I'm planning on asking him to marry me. We've known each other for long enough and I'm certain I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Once we're married, trust me, he wouldn't dare sleep out again. He knows I'm crazy and I can crumble his company with the flick of my finger as well as his little whore. He'll be loyal." she said and winked at a star struck Tegan.

Tegan stilled in shock as she gawked at Cassandra. "You're popping the question?!" She exclaimed trying to make sure she heard right.

Cassandra shrugged and bopped her head up and down signifying a happy yes.

Then and there, Tegan had to to conclude that her and Kevin couldn't go any longer. If Cassandra was going to get married to Kevin then that meant everything had to stop. Him and her? Their little play game? Everything had to stop. Period.

________†•†_________

A/N: Good day lovely.

I'm not sure I can classify this into a prologue cause to me, it's more like a scene that gives and extended summary of what you're about to get into and I don't really think a prologue should be 4000 words plus long, lmao.

Either way, How'd you like it?

This chapter isn't really edited though.

It's lovely of you to give this book a chance and I really do appreciate.

You can please kindly

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